Because of Her
by chicagonebananas
Summary: Her world had be torn in two. Thrown upside down. She didn't know why or how this had happened. Why did it have to be her? Her of all people. And just before college? AU
1. Prologue

A/N: I'm baaaaaaaaack! So after a while away from this site, I have returned! MWHAHA!

Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of it's characters.

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The night air was cool on her skin. She sat quietly in the park. Slowly pushing herself back and forth on a swing. Her world had be torn in two. Thrown upside down. She didn't know why or how this had happened. Why did it have to be her? Her of all people. And just before college?

Lilly Truscott sighed and looked up as the clouds gathered in the night sky. She felt another tear trickle down her cheek. It was one of many tears she had shed that day, that week. It was one of many to come.

Lilly bit her lip and looked over at the empty swing to her right. That was Miley's swing... or it had been Miley's swing. Her best friend had been killed only a week ago. The funeral had been that day. Things changed so suddenly. Miley was gone. She was gone and she would never return.

Life was different. It was different for Lilly, for Robbie, for Jackson. Life was different for Oliver, for Jake. It was going to be different for everyone involved. A hit and run, as it appeared, had taken her best friend's life.

She sighed. She slowly turned as she heard footsteps on the gravel behind her. She spotted Jake coming up to the swing set. He moved to Lilly's left.

"Can I sit here?" He asked.

Lilly nodded without saying anything. Jake and Miley had been dating for nearly a year. She could only imagine how this was effecting Jake. How he was dealing with it all. Everything had been thrown into a tailspin.

Jake sat quietly and looked down at his feet. "I guess she's really gone now." He finally whispered without looking up.

"Yeah... I guess she is..." Lilly answered.

A silence filled with grief fell between the two. They both harbored pain for their lost friend. Jake sighed and stared down at the gravel of the playground. He wasn't sure if any of this week was even real or if it was just a nightmare and he'd wake up any moment now. He let another sigh escape his lips.

"I'm getting out of Malibu for awhile." He said, breaking the silence as thunder started to rumble in the distance. "There's an acting job down in Florida that I think I'm going to take." He continued, "I need some time to get away and clear my mind."

Lilly nodded. She understood. She wanted to get out of Malibu as well for a bit. The town held so many memories. So many of her times with Miley. She wasn't sure if she could continue on without her best friend by her side. She looked at Jake.

"I'm leaving tomorrow." Jake told her. "I just wanted to let you know where I'm going." He stood up as the rain started to pour from the darken, night sky. He grabbed the hood of his jacket and pulled it over his head. "Take care Lilly." He said, without looking at her. He started to head away from the swings.

Lilly watched as Jake grew smaller. The rain hit her skin and made her shiver. She stood up and left the same park. Life was changing so fast. Changing for what could be the worst without Miley. Changing.

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A/N: Yes, this is short, but this is a prologue. The next chapter will take place either 5 or 10 years later.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Me no own Hannah Montana.

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He walked across the green grass. He knew where he was going. He had visited the site at least twice a week for the last six, almost seven, years. He reached the desired site. He looked down at the square stone.

_Miley Ray Stewart_

_May 5th, 1992-August 3rd, 2010_

_Forever in our hearts_

"Hey Miley." He started to speak. He leaned down and placed the bouquet of flowers he had brought with him on the grave. "So, I went to that premier the other night." He paused and laughed a small laugh. "I kept remembering that one premier that we went to together and you were trying to break up with me the first time we dated... the swan dress, the hairy-ness... Kept thinking of it all."

Jake sat down facing the grave marker. He folded his legs Indian style. "I miss you Miley." He said. "Everyday, I miss you." He looked at the stone. "Things are different, but I guess that's to be expected. I still don't think I'm fully use to this... you being gone and all."

He thought back to when he had first met Miley. How she was different from everyone else at Seaview Middle School. She had treated him like a human being, not a celebrity. He liked that about her. He really did. He remembered all the crazy stunts she had pulled. Such as trying to sabotage the movie he had done with McKayla. He missed her. He wished she was still with him.

He stood up after a few moments of silence. "I have to go Miley." He said looking down. "But I'll be back next week. Same time." He stood up and walked away from Miley's final resting place.

* * *

"I'd like to thank you for getting Troy all hyped up last night!" Lilly said sarcastically into the phone. She turned around and rubbed her temple. Her ex-husband, Lucas, **always** seemed to go against her instructions when her kids were visiting him.

"_He wanted the candy." _Lucas replied back through the phone.

"Well that doesn't mean you have to give it to him!" She was frustrated. It had been six months since the divorce had been finalized.

"_Lilly, don't tell me how to raise _my _kids!" _Lucas replied.

Lilly despised this man. She couldn't figure out what had possessed her to marry him in the first place. When the divorce had been finalized she was more than happy, especially seeing as she had full custody of the kids. The only reason why she allowed him to see them was because technically they were his children as well and her kids did have a right to see their father.

Lilly closed her eyes and quickly counted backwards from ten. "You do remember that I have full custody of them?" She asked. There was a pause.

"_That may change soon." _Lilly heard the line fall dead after those words. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. If what this man meant she would be back in court going through a bitter custody battle.

She slammed her thumb down on the end the button. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She glanced at the clock and realized it was time to pick up her kids.

Her kids. They were what she woke up for in the morning. They were what kept her going. She loved them and at this point in her life they were the only thing that brought joy into her life. Ever since Miley had passed, she hadn't had a best friend as close to her as Miley had been. Her marriage had failed and she was barely making ends meet at this point.

She reached over to the other side of the counter and gabbed her keys. She was running late again. She walked out the door, into the garage, and got into her car and left.

* * *

"...Nah, I'll be there." Jake said into his phone as he pulled up to the intersection. He paused and pulled into the middle of the intersection, "Trust me, I'll be there." He continued.

Next thing Jake heard was a horn honk followed by the crunching of metal.

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A/N: Dang! I'm so sorry it's taken me forever to update this! I was out of town for a while and got fairly busy with end of the school year stuff. Anyways, I know Miley's real birthday is November 23rd, but for the fic I decided to change it. Also, the episode she got her liscens in I think that was suppose to be summer which means that her character would have a summer birthday (most likly)... anyways, if I did the math right I got the date of death right... yeah. Also, I couldn't remember if the episode where Miley and Lilly tried to sabatoge the alien thing was a movie or TV show so I just took a stab in the dark on which it was.


End file.
